Classification and Comparison of Modularity Concepts for Graph Transformation Systems

Abstract

This paper presents a systematic approach for classifying and comparing modularity concepts that have been proposed for graph transformation systems. The approach is based on the following observation: Modules and module interconnections consist of basic specifications (forming, e.g., a module's body, import, or export interface), and relations between such specifications, like the implementation relation between export and body of a module. Hence, a natural approach for characterizing a module concept is to answer the following three questions: 1. What are the basic specifications? 2. Which relations between specifications are used? 3. How are specifications and relations combined to modules and interconnections? In this paper, these questions are considered in some detail for the following module concepts for graph transformation systems